


I'll Be There For You

by Minchuks



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Artists, Attempt at Humor, College, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, High School, No Further Spoilers, Reader-Insert, Suffering in School
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-03-19 01:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13693809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minchuks/pseuds/Minchuks
Summary: Gilbert was the most popular guy at school, while she was the most average girl someone could ever meet. However, through a few unexpected events, they have found themselves unable to spend time away from one another, whether they wanted it or not. But can such a relationship last, or, maybe even turn into something else?





	1. 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.

* * *

A gentle breeze brushed a few loose strands of hair from her face as she walked down the familiar road to school. After the heavy rain the previous night, today, the sun was out, and the sky was cloudless. It would have been a perfect day to go out to the park and lay out in the sunlight. But, sadly, it was just another day to be wasted in school, learning things that would most likely never matter in her life.

Because, unlike most, she wanted to focus on the beauty in life and become a well-known artist. Sure, she had been met with opposition at this idea, with the typical "But you'll never make enough money that way!" arguments from her parents. And, with just a few months until the end of her last school year, she needed to think of a way around their concerns. But, so far, nothing had come to her mind.

Turning to look at the beautiful sunrise, she barely noticed a car coming straight towards her, and right towards a puddle that could probably be called a small pond. It drove through at the speed to create a tsunami heading her way, and she just managed to dodge it in the nick of time. Suddenly, she started to hate last night's rain, even if its calming sound was the one that put her to sleep.

"That sure was a close one, wasn't it?" a voice whispered in her ear.

Jumping at the proximity of the sound, her body tensed as she looked to the source of it, only to see her best friend standing there.

"Damn you, Eliza."

"I'll take that as a greeting. Long time no see, right?" the girl said, a huge grin on her face.

"It's only been two days, you know," she answered in a dull tone.

"Is everything okay, (Y/n)? You look pretty tired."

"Well, that's because I am. You know I'm not a morning person."

Eliza sighed. "Just try not to fall asleep in class."

(Y/n) laughed. "With those three guys in the classroom? Impossible."

As soon as she said that, the mentioned three guys ran past, chasing each other in some sort of childish game of sorts, and being stupid, as always. Around the school, they were known as the Bad Touch Trio, because of their 'talent' in picking up girls. And that wasn't a hard task, considering they were the best-known guys at the school, with their leader, Gilbert Beilschmidt, basically being the ringleader of the entire student body. So many girls were willing to do anything to get his attention, although most of their attempts would fail, because why should a player like him stick with one partner? And the others who didn't care about the bunch could only laugh about the drama they would build.

"I was kind of hoping they wouldn't show up. That would make things calmer around here," Eliza scoffed.

"Come on. You know and I know that those dudes not being here would make things so unbearably boring, I'd rather walk barefoot on broken glass."

"I guess you do have a point there. Anyway, this weekend, I went on a road trip with my family and..." Her friend went on to talk about her weekend, with (Y/n) simply listening to her story. She wasn't the type who talked a lot, instead preferring to listen. Elizabeta, however, was a very outgoing and cheerful person, so others might have wondered how the two became friends, but, somehow, they had been best friends since middle school.

"So... did anything interesting happen over your weekend, or was it the usual 'I just lounged around and drew the trees outside my window'?"

(Y/n) chuckled. "You know me so well, Eliza."

Eventually, they came up to the school gate, a crowd surrounding the BTT, filling up on the latest news of the group's lives. But the bell ring caught everyone's attention.

"Come on, let's go. We have class to attend. At least it's just homeroom," Elizabeta said.

"Ugh, why can't I just be in my soft and comfy bed right now~" (Y/n) groaned in annoyance, and with this, Eliza grabbed her wrist and literally pulled her to their classroom.

A short while after everyone was seated at their desks, their teacher, Mrs. Forester, walked in the noisy classroom. She was a rather old teacher, but quite pleasant, compared to other teachers in their school.

"Good morning, class. I am required to inform you that on April 28th, the school will be hosting its annual Spring Dance. And, as the seniors of this school, I'd expect you to attend this event. I'll pass out flyers containing more information. "

The classroom was filled up with the voices of the teenagers, some disgruntled, some excited, some starting up a chat about what they would wear.

"Let me guess. You're not going yet again," Elizabeta said accusingly.

"I just don't want to. You know I don't like being in the same room with a hundred other teens."

Eliza looked behind her, towards Gilbert, who was being flirted with by about five girls. "But what if a cute guy were to ask you to that dance?" she asked, lifting her eyebrows.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes. "So you actually think that Gilbert Beilschmidt, the king of players himself, would ask a simple girl like me to that thing. Yeah, right. That will definitely happen," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Alright, maybe not Gilbert. Maybe Francis or Antonio-"

(Y/n) hushed her friend with a finger to her lips. "No. I won't go."

Eliza looked rather disappointed at this statement. "Alright then... but let me know if you change your mind, okay?"

"Sure. I'll do that."

"Alright, settle down, everyone. You can discuss this after class. Also, you should remember that your finals are coming soon." This was met with a collective groan from the class. But Mrs. Forester didn't even flinch.

"And this means that it's time you started thinking about your life after school. So, to help you decide, the school council will organize an event two weeks from now, where they'll invite professionals of every field available locally. I'm sure this will help you figure out your future path."

(Y/n) became excited. This was a chance to prove to her family that pursuing art wouldn't be as bad as they thought. And, if that were to fail, she would be able to check out alternatives that her parents might approve. But she hoped that a 'plan B' wouldn't be needed.

"Isn't that awesome? I'll finally meet up with professional economists and I'll be able to talk to them and we might even engage in a lovely debate! I can't wait!" Eliza cheered, her face glowing in joy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, meet Elizabeta Héderváry, the only person in this entire school who doesn't fall asleep in Economics," (Y/n) murmured under her breath.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch what you said there," Eliza said, shooting a suspicious glare at her friend.

"What do you mean? I didn't say anything!" she replied with a mock innocence.

Eliza simply smirked. "Yeah, you definitely didn't. You definitely don't think that I am weird for liking classes that everyone else seems to hate. At least it's better than your art stuff," she laughed.

(Y/n) sighed, annoyance clear on her face. "Let's just keep on liking what we like, alright?"

"Alright, as long as you do the same," Eliza said.

* * *

"Class dismissed," the Physics teacher said, and within seconds of her saying that, the class emptied out with the students rushing out of the school.

"Seriously, how can a class be  _this_  boring?" (Y/n) yawned.

"I guess that's Physics for you. At least it's the last class of the day. Let's go to the lockers, I need to drop off a few of my books," Eliza suggested.

Making their way to the lockers, (Y/n) noticed a particular French guy approaching them.

"(Y/n), a lovely lady like you should not go to the dance alone. However, I know a certain someone who would like to take you there," the male said suggestively, somehow holding a rose.

"Well, you can go and tell that I'm not going with them," (Y/n) replied.

Francis pouted. "But it's our last year! It's our last chance to attend such an event!"

"I know plenty of girls who would absolutely love to go with you. All you have to do is look around."

"You never change, (Y/n). Why do I even try...?"

"I know why. It's because you flirt with every girl within a mile," she chuckled. And that was true. Francis just loved approaching any girl he saw. Most of all, he loved messing with (Y/n), even if he would get ignored, and he'd always finish with something along the lines of "Why are you such a horrible friend that you'd just reject me like that?". And, unfortunately for her, she had put up with this since elementary school, because he lived right across her street.

"Ohonhonhon~ Then I guess I'll go flirt with every girl within a mile~" Francis said while almost waltzing away.

"I just don't understand how you can deal with him... I imagine it's a nightmare," Eliza said.

"It's fun to have someone like him around. At least he can make me laugh with his antics."

"I guess you're right. Anyway, I'm off to my courses. Need to work hard for that scholarship, right?"

(Y/n) smiled and waved the girl goodbye. "Good luck, Eliza!"

 

And that's how every school day went by with few differences. But what she didn't know was that things were going to change very fast.


	2. 2

As soon as (Y/n) returned home, a familiar little creature hopped into her arms.

“Hi, Tukee! How have you been doing today~” she said to the puppy in her lap, a cute orange Pomeranian, who licked her cheek in return.

“Hello, dear. How was school today?” her mother said, emerging from the living room.

“Same thing as always,” (Y/n) laughed. “And how do you feel?” she asked, concern lacing her voice.

“I feel much better. It was probably just a bout of weakness. I’ll return to work tomorrow,” The woman replied with a smile on her face. It had been the third time in two months that something like this had happened and (Y/n) had become rather worried.

“You know, you should probably visit a doctor. Or at least take a break from work.”

“I promise I’m fine, okay? Please don’t worry about me,” she said, and embraced her daughter. “Is there really nothing new at school?”

(Y/n) smiled. “Well, I guess there is the school dance…”

“Now you’re talking. But I bet you don’t want to go, do you?” One great thing that she loved about her mother: she knew her daughter to the very core, and was an excellent conversational partner.

 “You know I’d rather spend this time with you and Tukee, maybe make a nice dinner, and not go to a gym full of loud teens.”

But her mom still didn’t seem satisfied. “You sure there’s not anything you’re forgetting there?” she said, smirking.

(Y/n)’s blood ran cold. She really, really wanted to avoid talking about the career event. But, knowing her mother, she probably knew everything anyway.

“I got an e-mail about a career event taking place. Maybe now you’ll see other options to take instead of art…”

“Mom, I don’t want to talk about that.” Even the mention of her having to give up her dream crushed her.

“I’m just worried about your future. I’ve heard so much about all those artists that can’t even make a decent living.”

“I know you care about me.” A moment of awkward silence later she continued. “Alright. I’ll check out some other things. But that doesn’t mean I’ll immediately choose something else.” she said, feeling defeated.

“I would never expect you to give up on a dream like that. But I’m glad you’re finally listening.”

(Y/n) didn’t answer, instead lowering her head and stroking the puppy’s fur.

“But, for now, to improve your mood, let’s go eat dinner. I had plenty of time, so I ended up making a pizza. I hope you’ll like it,” her mother said with a hopeful, childish glow illuminating her face.

* * *

(Y/n) yawned as she heard the classroom’s occupants heading for the door.

She felt a nudge against her arm. “Hey, wake up.”

She lifted her tired eyes to look at her friend.

“Do I really need to hire someone to make sure you get enough sleep?” Eliza pouted. “Whatever. Next lesson’s Art. I thought you’d enjoy hearing that.” (Y/n) immediately perked up, a smile curling her lips. _Finally, a lesson I actually like._

“Let’s go, then,” she said, leaving the classroom with Eliza following closely behind.

 

“Good morning, class,” Mr. Savitsky said in his usual strict tone as he entered the classroom, and as soon as he did, the students went quiet. He was one of those teachers that nobody would ever mess with, as he always exuded an aura of professionalism and authority, which was one of the reasons why (Y/n) respected him more than any other teacher. At least he was able to create a quiet environment to draw in.

“You will be doing a project on modern art in pairs.” Many of the students looked around, mostly sharing sideways glances with their friends, still not daring to speak.

“However, I have already chosen the pairs.” (Y/n) looked to the side at Eliza, who was very clearly disappointed.

“That sucks. I hoped I could just snatch you for my own. I mean, you’re pretty much the only person here who can draw,” Eliza whispered.

Savitsky began calling out last names, which were, most of the time, answered with disappointment from their owners.

“Héderváry, please join Bonnefoy.”

(Y/n) heard a sigh from her friend as she left her seat to join Francis.

“(L/n), you’re with Beilschmidt.”

_Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Seriously, why him of all people?!_  She was panicking. Gilbert always seemed, or at least looked, like one of those guys that didn’t have a care in the world, and the last thing (Y/n) wanted was to handle this project on her own on top of all the other homework she had to do.

And not a moment later, Gilbert had made himself comfortable in the seat next to her. Well, as comfortable as one could get in a classroom chair.

 

"Please make a poster containing a piece of _original_  modern art and prepare a presentation about the period. You will start presenting a week from now. You have the rest of the hour to discuss the project. But only if you do it quietly." Savitsky instructed, putting special emphasis on the last sentence.

Gilbert leaned back into his chair. "Why am I working with someone as un-awesome as you?"

"Because the teacher told us to," (Y/n) said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Hm... fine. Do you know anything about this stuff?"

"I know some things. But I'm better off drawing then writing. I mean..." she said, pulling out her sketchbook and handing it to Gilbert. He immediately started flipping through the pages, stopping once in a while to inspect a work that interested him, with a child-like twinkle in his red eyes. But as soon as he turned his attention away from the book, he resumed his cool attitude as if nothing had happened.

"I'll admit they're pretty cool. But they're nowhere near as awesome as the awesome me."

(Y/n) sighed. Guess he really did have a huge ego. And, for some reason, as irritated as she was, she still went on to humor him further.

"I guess nothing can ever be as awesome as you, right?"

"That's right! No one can ever beat the awesome me!" he whisper-shouted. Someone should probably consider giving Gilbert an award for how many times he can use the word 'awesome' in 20 seconds.

“Can you spare some time after school to come to my house? You know, to plan out the poster,” she suggested.

“Fine. At least then I can go to Francis’ place afterwards to do more awesome things. You live really close, don’t you?”

“H-how did you know? Don’t tell me he’s been talking about me,” (Y/n) said, feeling the blood drain from her face.

Gilbert chuckled after seeing her in this state. “He talks about everyone along with Antonio. But, since you are such a close friend to him, he has mentioned you more than the others.”

“First of all, it’s not nice to talk about others behind their backs. Second, you can go ahead and tell him that we’re not close friends. We just know each other, that’s all.” she shot back; however, this only made the male smirk in response.

“Sounds fair enough.”

(Y/n) returned to her sketchbook, trying to find an empty page and starting to sketch ideas for the artwork. But the sound of the bell ringing what only seemed like minutes later transferred her back into reality. With everyone packing up to leave, Eliza came up to (Y/n), looking rather pissed off.

“So… how was working with Francis like?” she asked teasingly.

“I have officially confirmed that Savitsky is evil. Seriously, that frog invented about a thousand different pick up lines and generally was a nuisance. How the hell am I supposed to work with someone like _that_?!” Eliza said, growing even angrier.

“I’m sure you’ll be able to deal with him. You’re Elizabeta, after all,” (Y/n) said, offering a comforting smile.

* * *

“So you do actually live across the street from him,” Gilbert said, surprised.

“Yeah. Come in,” (Y/n) invited.

After crossing the threshold of her home, the small puppy started jumping around the pair’s legs. Gilbert, as if overtaken by something, picked up the dog and started petting it.

“His name’s Tukee,” she introduced the little creature to him. But he didn’t seem to care, instead focused on stroking Tukee’s fur.

“You know, we have a project to take care of. But, if you want, you can take him upstairs with you. Besides, I don’t think he minds,” she smiled.

“His fur is just so soft and fluffy~” Gilbert exclaimed, making (Y/n) laugh rather loudly, finally snapping the male out of his trance.

A bright red blush lit up his face. “Not a word about this to anyone. It would destroy my awesomeness,” he added.

She laughed even louder at his statement. “Follow me then~”

The pair made their way upstairs to her room, where Gilbert made himself at home on her bed with the puppy still in his lap. Meanwhile, (Y/n) went to get a large piece of poster board.

“You have that stuff just lying around?” he asked.

“Yup. I sometimes use it as a canvas on larger works,” she replied.

It was at this moment that Gil looked around the room. There were penciled and inked over papers all over the otherwise tidy room, and art supplies were stacked over every shelf he saw. But what attracted him most was the artwork itself. A landscape here, a portrait there, and, possibly the best work in the bunch she had, an exact replica of the view outside her window.

Gilbert picked up the piece, and compared it to the subject, looking completely mesmerized.

“Wow. I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Thanks,” she said, slightly blushing at the sudden compliment. “So now you know why I would prefer to make the art.”

“Yeah. You do that.” he said, finally putting down the paper. The pair then spent the next hour or so discussing and sketching the poster, until finally agreeing on the formatting.

“I think that looks pretty good, don’t you think?” he broke the silence after the two had spent the last few minutes finishing up the little details.

“I think it’s great. So, about the written part…” she began, but Gil cut her off.

“I’ll send you an e-mail with the text when I’m done. Then you can stitch it up together, okay?”

(Y/n) nodded, although in the back of her mind she questioned his dedication to the task at hand, if such a thing even existed.

“Oh, and one last thing.” He took a random piece of paper and quickly jotted down his number. “If you need help, then just call the awesome me!”

She chuckled and went to see him out the door. “Alright. Have fun over there,” she said, waving as he ran across the street. Closing and locking the door, she slid down and sat on the floor, feeling rather tired.

 

Man, this was going to be a tough cookie to deal with.


	3. 3

(Y/n) had long since lost track of the hours she had spent sketching the artwork for the project. But every single paper ended up crumpled on the floor or in the trash. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much inspiration she tried to get, every idea just didn't translate into something that looked pretty to the eye. Frustrated to no end, she finally glanced up to the clock.

2:30 in the morning. 

Typical.

Setting down her notebook and pencil, she crawled into her bed, stared at the now dark ceiling and tried to clear her mind of all of her restless thoughts. She needed to get some sleep once in a while. But, as it happened every night, she just couldn't fall asleep.

She picked up her phone, overcome by the urge to contact someone, anyone. But no one would be up this late. Well, maybe Gilbert. Who knows what that guy does at night. Maybe he was similar to her, also unable to sleep. She quickly typed out a text, but stopped right before hitting the send button. They had talked for the first time less than a day ago, and now she was texting him in the middle of the night? No. That's not how it's supposed to work. So she resisted the urge to send the text and switched off her phone, tucking herself under her fluffy blanket.

_At least tomorrow is a new day._

* * *

"Seriously, (Y/n), you look worse day by day." Eliza said. "Is there anything I can do to help you fall asleep early enough to not be dead the next morning?"

"I'm sorry. I just stayed up really late dealing with the project." (Y/n) replied through a yawn.

"I do feel bad for you. Working with Gilbert probably isn't fun. Maybe you want some help-"

"No. That's not the problem. He said he'll write the theory part. It's just that I'm having trouble with the art."

Eliza nearly choked on her drink. "What?! You, struggling with art?"

"Well, I had plenty of ideas, but they all sucked."

"Yeah, right. Others would probably take those ideas and sell them for millions."

"But I didn't feel like they were good enough for a project as important as this."

"You're being too tough on yourself, you know. If you need someone to talk to, then contact me, okay? I'll teach you how to deal with that pressure." Eliza flashed a happy grin.

"Then... can I text you at 3am?" 

"Oh, dear. Guess I'll have to take action. Don't be surprised if there's someone knocking on your window telling you to go to sleep."

The girls burst into laughter.

* * *

"Elizabeta, time to go~" Francis purred, earning a reaction of pure disgust from the poor girl.

"One more move on me, and you're history." Eliza spat back.

"Onhonhon~ but you know that history is also _her_ story~"

Out of nowhere, she pulled a ruler and let it make contact with the Frenchman's face, leaving a small red mark.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"I warned you."

"Hey, guys. Stop fighting, and let's go." (Y/n) said as she emerged from the school.

"We still have to wait for Gilbert. He told me he'd come over along with Antonio." Francis said.

"Wait, what?! You didn't tell me your entire gang was going to be there!" Eliza shouted.

"I am sorry, ma cherie. It's just that they wished to visit me~"

Eliza grabbed (Y/n) and pulled her closer, whispering so only she could hear. "If anything happens, you'll save me from that nightmare, alright?"

This brought an amused smile to (Y/n)'s face. "Got it. But, honestly, I don't think it will be that bad. Especially with me watching over him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Thanks. What would I do without you..." Eliza put an arm around her friend.

"Sorry, I was a bit delayed by how awesome I was." A voice came from behind, obviously belonging to Gilbert. And behind him stood Antonio, with an ever-present cheerful smile on his face.

"Wonderful. Now we can go." Francis said as they began walking down the avenue.

But, shortly after, (Y/n) stopped. She looked around at the trees, her friends, the way the light played with the colors... 

"Guys. Stay there and don't move." she commanded, getting everyone's attention.

"Alright. I'll explain later. For now, everyone, just turn slightly towards me... yes. There you go. Perfect."

"Um, (Y/n), what are you doing?" Gilbert questioned her.

"Just... stay still." (Y/n) pulled out her phone and took a picture of the view. "There. Thanks, guys." 

(Y/n) resumed walking down the avenue, with the others trailing behind, obvious confusion on their faces.

"Seriously, what was that all about?" Antonio laughed.

"A reference image for the art project. I finally figured it out." she said, beaming.

"What do you even mean by that?" Eliza asked.

"You'll see." 

"Alright, we did... whatever that was, so now can we go? Being on school grounds is too depressing for the awesome me." Gilbert said.

"I agree. Let's get out of here." Eliza joined in.

* * *

The constant bickering of Elizabeta and Francis, along with what essentially were war cries from the other two guys playing video games, contributed to an environment that wasn't the most ideal for creative processes, but (Y/n) pushed on ahead, sketching line after line, her mood lifting with each passing minute.

"Kesesesese~ You're so dead, Toni!" Gilbert yelled as he fired at a different player, followed by a loud groan from the Spaniard at his defeat.

"BOOM! Headshot! Did anyone else see how awesome that was?" He continued shouting, looking around the room with a hopeful glimmer in his eyes.

"I guess it was decent, but I don't see the point of killing your own friend like that," (Y/n) said from across the room.

"He's on the other team. At least, he was," Gilbert said, making Toni groan. "Why don't you try playing with us? We have another controller here, you know." he invited, but (Y/n) shook her head.

"I'll probably be killed in two seconds," she laughed. "Besides, I'm almost done with this." 

Gilbert quickly got up and started walking towards her, eagerness clear in his face, but she stopped him in his tracks.

"No, Gilbert. You'll have to wait to see the finished work."

"Oh, come on! That is so un-awesome!" 

(Y/n) broke out in an evil grin. "And now, if you don't mind, I'll go back to my house to paint this thing. Will you survive this, Eliza?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine," she said. (Y/n) noticed a frying pan next to her, and Francis looking absolutely terrified. Well, that explains a lot.

"Then I guess I'll take my leave. Gilbert, I'm still waiting for that email." 

"Yeah, I'm working on it." he replied, making his was back to the game, but it was the carefree tone he used that worried (Y/n) most. What if he slacked off and just expected her to take care of everything? That wouldn't be surprising, considering his reputation. She knew that dealing with the extra work would be a nightmare beyond nightmares. So, despite his promise, a small part of her brain was already preparing for the worst.

Returning to her own home, she began her work, pouring her soul into every single paint stroke. She was determined to make it absolutely perfect, spending several days' worth of free time to complete the work.  
But she didn't mind doing so much for what's essentially going to be one number in her report card. Because this was much more than just a school assignment. This was a true passion.

* * *

About three days and a few gallons of coffee later, the piece was having it's final details drawn in. (Y/n) stepped back from her desk to see the poster in its entirety. A smile lit up her face, finally feeling satisfied with her work.

A moment later her phone pinged. She checked it out, only to see a message from Gilbert.

'From Gilbert: Check out your e-mail and call me if you have any questions'

Quickly going online and typing in the string of letters and numbers to get into her account, she saw the e-mail from him, containing an attachment, which she hastily opened.

Reading through the pages, her eyes widened in surprise. ' _When did he even...?'_

Before she realized it, she had called him and was impatiently waiting for him to pick up.

A few rings later, she heard him talking on the other end.

" _Hey! Anything you need from the awesome me?_ "

"I-It's wonderful," she choked out, still staring at the paragraphs in awe.

" _Hm? What are you talking about? ... oh. That. It's awesome, isn't it? Sure, it's not as awesome as me, 'cause it was a pain in the butt, but it's still pretty decent._ "

"Thank you. Really. I mean it." 

" _No problem! So now all you have to do is put it all together and we'll be the most awesome duo of the class!_ " 

"Yeah. Gonna get on to it right now," she said, and dropped the call.  
  
Maybe she had slightly misjudged him.

* * *

"Wow. Haven't seen you this excited in a really long time. Don't tell me that you actually want to do this presentation," Eliza said, seating herself on (Y/n)'s desk. 

"It's not that I want to talk in front of the class. But... well..." she laughed nervously, earning a suspicious glare from Eliza.

(Y/n) returned to reciting her lines to herself, until Gilbert arrived in the classroom, sitting down on the chair next to her.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll probably ever be. And you?"

"The awesome me is always ready! We're going to nail this, am I right?"

(Y/n) nodded as she noticed Mr. Savitsky enter the class.

"Sit down, everyone. Today you will start presenting your projects. And the first pair coming up here will be..." He read through his list of pairs, with the atmosphere becoming tense with worry.

"... (L/n) and Beilschmidt."

A few relieved sighs could be heard as the two made their way to the front of the class. She noticed a few dreamy stares from the other girls who focused their attention on Gilbert, as well as a couple glares of what could be interpreted as jealousy aimed at her. Choosing to ignore this, she composed herself and unrolled the poster. 

A collective gasp of amazement could be heard from her classmates as they observed the piece. Quickly glancing at Gilbert, she could see the surprised look on his face, although he tried, and failed, to hide it. And among the most amazed were the subjects of the painting.

A simple idea, with her friends posing in the school's avenue. But a masterful execution, fine details mixed with seemingly messy splashes of color, making the piece seem like a fantasy with only just enough elements to keep it chained to reality, but the scene remaining unmistakable. 

She could have sworn to have even seen the teacher smile.

"Gilbert, you have to start," (Y/n) whispered, but he seemed unable to collect himself. So she took it on herself.

"The modern art movement was an artistic period taking place roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and emerged from the heritage of painters such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne and Georges Seurat, among others. A common trait you will see in modernism works is a spirit of experimentation and abstract ideas, forcing the viewer to think about what the work's true nature was like." 

She continued on like this for a while, until Gilbert took over about halfway through, listing different painters and describing their styles in immense detail, making (Y/n) even more surprised at this sudden change in Gil's demeanor, from a laid-back, slightly hyper and arrogant guy with no care in the world, to the tough and dead serious person next to her.

"...and that's how modernism paved the path to the art we see today." he finished, with their fellow students bursting into applause as he did. A feeling of pure accomplishment took over (Y/n), and soon enough she became unable to not show her joy.

"Wonderful work, you two," Savitsky congratulated. "(L/n), did you paint this?"

"Yes," she answered.

"I see. Please stay after this class. I want to discuss something with you," he said, earning a few quiet snickers from the back of the class. (Y/n) simply nodded, returning to her seat. 

"Damn you. If I had seen that drawing, I wouldn't have embarrassed myself like that!" he whisper-shouted, crossing his arms and trying to ignore her for the remainder of the hour, obviously trying to repair his ego, which had, in his mind, probably been damaged because she had made him less awesome.

Honestly, she didn't really care, instead, she kept riding the wave of pride and joy that she had experienced. But all good things must come to end, and the school bell snapped her out of her bliss after about five or six other presentations.

"Class dismissed. You will continue next week," Savitsky said to the students, who were hastily leaving the classroom. However, Elizabeta ran up to (Y/n) and gave her a big hug. 

"That was amazing! You should have seen the look on Francis' face," Eliza cheered.

"I did. Honestly, I could barely keep from laughing out loud then and there," she chuckled. 

"Alright, you do your business with Savitsky, I'll wait for you outside of the class, okay?" Eliza said, heading to the classroom door.

"Sure. See you later!" (Y/n) quickly waved to her friend as she left the class.

"So, what I wanted to ask you about is whether you plan to go to art school. I would personally hate to see your talent go to waste, and I  recommend you to check out the local university for their art programs."

"Well, I have always wanted to attend art school after I finished high school, but I haven't been able to convince my parents about it," she said, the memories of the arguments alone bringing her mood down.

"I'm sure you know about the career event happening next week." (Y/n) nodded. "As far as I know, there will be representatives from the art courses in our university. I would highly recommend you to take a look. And, there is an annual competition for a scholarship at the school. I think this project is more than good enough to let you apply, if you can also spare the time to write a few essays."

At this point, (Y/n) was beaming. This was an opportunity to achieve her goal, and she was much, much more than willing to take the chance.

"I will send you the specifications for the application. I hope you'll look into it."

"I will. Thank you so much for the information," she said as politely as she could, while trying to hold back her excitement.

"You're welcome. Now hurry along to your next class." 

(Y/n) almost skipped out of the class and met up with Eliza outside of the room.

"So, what was it about?" she asked, curious.

"It was about art school. That I had a chance to get a scholarship," (Y/n) answered, happy like there was no tomorrow.

"Congrats!" Eliza said as she embraced her friend once again. "You're going to take it, right?"

"Obviously."

"You know, (Y/n), that was pretty awesome, if I do say so myself." a voice coming from behind said. She turned to see a certain Prussian standing behind her.

"What, you're not angry that I distracted you?" she teased.

"That did make me feel a bit less awesome. But what matters more is that we managed to do this. So thanks for that," he responded, lacking his usual 'I'm-on-top-of-the-world' aura.

"I have to thank you too, you know. Without you, I wouldn't have had such a great written part."

He chuckled. "You're welcome."

The pair started slowly walking in the direction of their next classroom, when (Y/n) noticed her friend's sudden absence.

"First things first, I'm sorry that I thought you weren't awesome at all. In fact, I've concluded that you're actually rather nice. But I'm still not going to forgive you for embarrassing me like that." His little confession surprised her, but she remained quite interested as to what he was going to suggest.

"And what are you trying to say with that?" she asked him, but what came after was completely unexpected.

"Friends?"

Since when Gilbert Beilschmidt, the king of this entire school, wanted to be friends with such an average and simple girl as (Y/n)? Who knows. And, most likely, no one will ever know. But this didn't stop her from accepting his offer.

"Friends," she said, and the two exchanged a fist bump, before the bell sent them rushing off to their next class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this took so long. Was really busy with school and olympiads. Finals are coming up, too, so I might disappear again. Again, I'm very sorry.


	4. 4

(Y/n) was rather pleasantly surprised by the fact that Gilbert was far more normal than he seemed from afar. Away from his identity at school and the crowds of girls surrounding him, he was just a regular, if not slightly arrogant young man with a normal life. Sure, he still liked to act on top of everyone, but she didn't mind at all. In fact, she might have thought on more than one occasion that it was a bit endearing- before collecting herself to not let anything like that slip out.

However, this could never have come without consequences. With great power comes great responsibility, they say. In a couple days (Y/n) had gone from being a nobody to being the talk of the school, mostly though rumors about relationships, manipulation and some things more insane than fire-breathing unicorns. For the most part, it resulted in weird glances being shot her way a lot. Needless to say, it was irritating as all hell.

But the fun she was able to share with the group was more than worth it. They would often hang out together after school, goof around the town where they lived, and (Y/n) even managed to get Eliza to join in, much to her dismay at first. And, to be honest, seeing Eliza and Francis try to get along was hilarious, because all of the attempts made by the rest of the group ended up in major failure, and often with the Frenchman running away and cowering in fear. But eventually, they settled down, and now Francis only occasionally tried to make a move on the girl, to the group's amusement. Perhaps it could be said that they had actually become rather close friends.

Truly, it was worth it.

* * *

The gym was packed with people, all chatting with others around the booths lined up across the hall, some busier than others. As soon as (Y/n) and Eliza entered the hall, the latter lit up in excitement.

"There they are! Now you go find your own stall, I'm going. Finally, I've been waiting for so long!" she cheered, running over to the economist booth. Now alone, (Y/n) continued her way across the space, and soon saw a small gallery at the far end. Rushing over, she looked at the different works of art, mesmerized by their beauty. 

"Ciao! Welcome to the Art branch, my name's Feliciano," the person at the stand said. He looked way too young to be a college student, but, apparently, he was. "And what's your name?"

"(Y/n)," she said.

"Nice to meet you! So, what are you interested in here?"

She could have talked with the young man for hours about art, and she almost did that, but the only reason she came here was one question, and there was no way she'd waste the chance.

"What's it like being an art student? I would love to apply to our university when I graduate, I just need to convince my parents, if you know what I mean..." she said, lowering her tone in slight embarrassment.

"That would be lovely! So few people take art courses nowadays, and it's a bit sad, but it only makes things better when someone does join. And, if you or your family are worried about finances later in life, then don't. Basically, I wish people would stop believing that we are poor and can't find jobs, because that's just not true! We're just like any other college student, except we have way more fun," Feliciano finished, wearing a happy grin, with the same now mirroring on (Y/n)'s face.

Suddenly she could see all of her dreams become a reality, all she had to do now is just write those essays, which seemed like child's play compared to where it could take her.

"Is your art teacher called Savitsky, by any chance?" he questioned.

"Yeah. He's a great teacher, isn't he?" 

The boy slightly shuddered. "He was pretty scary... but he was a good teacher, I agree with you on that. Could you send him a greeting from me, maybe?"

"Alright, I'll do that. And... well... I guess that's about it. Thanks for helping me," she said, a bit unsure, but Feliciano didn't even notice.

"It was a pleasure! Hope to see you in the university one day, (Y/n)!" he chippered and waved to her, who shot one last smile to the boy before turning around to leave the gym.

Walking by the stalls again, she saw Eliza engaged in a rather heated discussion, but that's apparently what she wanted. However, the trio were nowhere to be found. They probably went home just because they could. And that was what (Y/n) was doing right now, too, after having texted Eliza about her departure. She was rushing home as fast as possible, hopeful that her mother would finally change her mind and allow her to chase after what she wanted in life.

 

Quickly dropping her bookbag, she ran to the living room, where she knew her mother would be at, reading a book in the natural light. 

"Hi, dear. Early day today?" her mother asked.

"Yup. Because of that event," (Y/n) replied, still a little breathless.

Her mother put down the book she was reading and moved over, allowing (Y/n) to sit down next to her. "And what did you find out?"

"Well... first of all, I didn't change my mind. I still want to go. And what the guy there said only strengthened my intentions. And second..." she briefly went upstairs to grab her computer, and returned to her mother just as fast.

"My teacher sent me an email about a competition for a scholarship, with everything included."

She gave the device to the older woman, who read through the letter and also visited other pages, by the looks of it. After about 15 minutes of awkward silence, she finally looked up and at her daughter.

"I'm still not _that_ convinced, you know..."

(Y/n) felt her spirit drop and crash through the floor, small tears threatening to prick at her eyes, until she heard a small chuckle.

"I'm kidding. If this is what you want to do, then go ahead. I won't stop you, as long as you can handle it." 

"W-wait... you mean it?" Her eyes widened in disbelief. The woman nodded, a loving smile on her features, causing (Y/n) to give her possibly the most appreciative hug in existence, as if holding on to dear life.

A choked out sound of happiness escaped her throat as she tried to think of a way to express her sheer gratitude. But a simple "thank you" was all she managed to say. 

Her mother began running her fingers through her daughter's hair, her touch immediately calming her, and suddenly it felt like the old days, when the young girl seeked comfort on those dark and scary nights.

"You're welcome, my dear."

* * *

" _Send your application containing an original piece of art, and two essays of approx. 2000 words each about one period of art each, preferably corresponding to the course you wish to apply to._ "

So, if it's Fine Arts, then the Classical and Renaissance periods should work well. School's homework? Who cares. She had a application to send. A goal to reach. A dream to pursue. Dedicating so much of her time reading through tens of books, she wanted to make sure those essays were damn perfect. And that's how she barely noticed two weeks pass by. Or was it three? Either way, typing out those last words in the finishing paragraph of the second essay was one of the most satisfying things she had ever experienced. Rereading the works about a dozen times each to check for any errors, as well as compiling the required documents into one folder, she finally sent it off to the art school, her heart pounding with nervousness, praying for the best outcome.

 

Noticing the flashing of her phone, she unlocked it to see several messages from Eliza.

' _If you're still alive in that prison cell of a room of yours, please call me if you can,_ ' one of them read.

Quickly tapping the call button, she heard Eliza's voice on the other end after a couple beeps.

" _So, you're alive. We weren't sure._ "

"Come on, I told you that I'm writing the essays for my application! Besides, I know you're happier about that then you sound." (Y/n) could imagine Eliza scolding her for becoming such a hermit.

" _Of course, I'm happy that you were able to do something you love. But you've been completely ignoring us outside of school. And, I'll admit, it's getting a bit lonely without you here._ "

"You're proposing something or what?" 

" _(Y/n), get off your butt, leave that room you're been hiding in for these weeks and come to my place! It's seriously getting really un-awesome without you here, so how about we throw a party?_ " Gilbert half-shouted into the speaker, and (Y/n) heard a small scuffle taking place shortly afterwards.

" _Dude, give me back my phone!"_ She huffed. _"Anyway, be here as soon as you can, okay?_ " Eliza said after retrieving her cell. 

"Sure. I'll be there in about 20 minutes."

" _And bring some extra stuff with you, 'cause you're staying with us for the night! We need to somehow retrieve your social life, you know,_ " Gil somehow managed to add, before she heard the call end.

To be honest, she had spent way too much time away from her friends and she knew it, because of the overwhelming craving for human connection. Hastily packing her purse with the essentials, slipping into her favorite hoodie and leggings and putting on a touch of makeup, she rushed to her mother to tell her the small change of plans.

"Alright, as long as you stay safe out there at night. And you're going to be back tomorrow, right?"

"Yup. And I'll be safe, I promise," (Y/n) reassured. Her mother did tend to worry a bit too much for her own good.

"Then go out there and have a nice night!" she wished to her daughter, who then left their home, walking towards Gilbert's house, a wave of excitement rushing through her.

Finally arriving on the doorstep, she knocked on the wooden door, waiting for that familiar white haired boy to answer.

Opening the door, he shouted back into the house. "She's here!"

"Finally! And it only took you three weeks," Eliza said, popping out from the doorway, trying to look indifferent, although her mask was shattered by the sight of her best friend, whom she glomped at the first opportunity.

"Welcome back, (Y/n)," she said.

"Now we can finally get the party rolling!" Gilbert said while laughing rather loudly. Way to ruin the moment.

Entering the home, (Y/n) saw bowls of snacks lined up on a table, pop music playing in the background, and Antonio and Francis engaging in an intense card game, but they did look up for a moment to greet her.

"So, we need to catch you up to speed with everything at school," Eliza said, and with that began a rant about how this person dyed their hair half pink, half black, that person went up on the school rooftop, and other minor details like that. About an hour later, they finally finished, leaving (Y/n) wondering where would any of this information be useful at all, but still not minding the great company they were.

"So, because we'd die of boredom listening to your life in the past month or so, how about we do a one on one karaoke duel. You versus the awesome me. Although, I am going to win, so good luck," Gilbert smirked.

"Bring it," she said, accepting the challenge. Time to put this guy back in his place.

"Hey, guys, you might want to cover your ears," Eliza whispered to Francis and Toni, just loud enough for (Y/n) to hear. But she didn't protest, because, to be honest, she couldn't sing to save her life, but there was no way in hell she was just going to refuse a challenge like that.

"I'll let you choose the song. But, remember, I'm still gonna win," Gilbert said, his I'm-on-top-of-the-world aura obviously going through the roof. 

 _'Fine. I'll let you think that. Until I destroy you in this duel,'_ (Y/n) thought to herself, confidence taking over her mind.

She chose "Firework" by Katy Perry, which was one of her favorite songs. Hitting play, the pair began to sing, more so shout, making the other three visibly cringe at the noise. Really, it was a matter of who was singing louder than the other, and when it came to the chorus, the volume was pretty much equivalent of a plane engine in the living room. And so they shouted.

" _Baby, you're a firework_

_Come and show them what you're worth_

_Make 'em go "ah, ah, ah"_

_As you shoot across the sky-y-y~_ "

Four minutes of pure shouting and trying to not make anyone deaf. Good thing Gilbert lived with only his younger brother. 

"Quiet, Gil! I'm trying to study, and you're making my head burst!" an voice shouted a floor above. Definitely his brother, and he was definitely very angry.

"Awww, Luddy, maybe you want to join us?" Gilbert cooed.

"NO!" the voice yelled, and a moment later the previously dueling pair were on the floor, laughing until their stomachs hurt and tears escaped their eyes.

"That was awesome! Although, let's be honest, I was more awesome than you," Gil said, slowly recovering.

"Nope, I was way better. And to prove that, how about we do a round two?" (Y/n) narrowed her eyes, challenging him.

"I-I think that one round was enough and you both win, a-alright?" Toni mumbled, still struggling to grasp the situation.

"I will show you how it's really done." Francis got up and walked over to the TV, selecting a French ballad and, of course, singing it perfectly in typical Francis fashion. Eliza and Toni joined in as well, and, admittedly, also performed much better than Gilbert and (Y/n). But at that point, she really couldn't care less. She was more so happy about finally being able to relax for a bit, and have fun with her friends.

 

"Guys, check this out." Gilbert pulled a box from a shelf full to the brim with different DVDs. "You'll love this one."

"No way." Toni took the box in her hands, studying it. "I've been looking for a decent Matrix set for years. How in the world did you get it?"

"Yeah, collector's set, came with the poster and everything. And as for how I have it, well... ask Ludwig, I don't really know. He got it for my birthday last year. Either way, let's watch it."

(Y/n) rolled her eyes at the idea, as she couldn't say that she enjoyed action movies that much. However, she was a bit interested in what the fuss was all about, so she didn't raise objections and got comfortable on the plush couch. 

What she didn't anticipate was Gilbert settling down next to her and throwing his arm around her shoulders. Heat rushed to her cheeks at the unexpected closeness, but she also didn't shy away, as she usually would. Instead, she found the contact oddly comforting, making her smile without thinking.

As the film rolled and the lights flashed by, Gilbert's arms stayed strong around her, and she had no idea what to think of it. This was a friendship; nothing more. So why would he be doing this now? The question bugged her too much to focus on the movie. But another part of her just wanted to ignore all of that, and simply enjoy the feeling of someone being with her, and at that moment she knew that she wouldn't be the first to pull away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished my exams, graduated this school year with great grades, somehow survived, until next time.  
> Side note: I do not own the song "Firework" by Katy Perry. All rights go to their respective owners.


	5. 5

It felt like a dream. A gentle light coming from the window, the scent of freshly made pancakes filling the air, and Gilbert's steady heartbeat and warmth nearly putting her back to sleep.

Wait... _what?!_

Quickly jerking awake, she saw Gilbert, fast asleep next to her, his arm still around her frame.And a few feet away stood Eliza, with a delighted smile adorning her face. ' _That little... '_

(Y/n) sighed and slowly shimmied out of his grasp, careful not to wake him.

"Oh, come on, why did you do that? You two looked really cute together," Eliza whined.

"You know it's not like that! It's just... He was.." (Y/n) stumbled over her own words, her cheeks feeling warmer.

Gilbert shifted slightly, feeling around the now empty space next to him, trying to find her, but only finding the material of the couch. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked over to the side with a confused puppy-like look on his face.

Now _that_ was cute.

Looking up, he searched the room for the girl who had been his company for the entire night, the look in his eyes almost apologetic.

 _'Damn it, why can't invisibility be a real life power?'_ She blushed even more.

"If you guys have business to settle, I can leave you two alone. Besides, I'm hungry and Francis is in the kitchen making breakfast. Or what could be called breakfast at 1pm." Eliza flashed a smirk, before standing up and beginning to walk out of the room.

Unable to say anything, (Y/n) hastily left, too, trying to ignore Gilbert's existence because of sheer embarrassment, and cursing herself for feeling whatever it was that she felt.

 

At least Francis was there to lift the tension, with delicious, fluffy pancakes served with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. As the group dug into the feast, the guys tried to spark up a conversation, which (Y/n) eagerly joined, trying to distract herself from this morning's experience. But Gilbert's occasional glance didn't help at all.

"So, Toni, have you asked anyone to the dance?" Francis asked the Spaniard.

"Mhm. This one really cute girl, but you'll never guess who she is~"

The Frenchman then started listing many different names, all met with denial, until he gave up and let out a slightly irritated whine, before turning his attention to Eliza.

"What about you? You're going with Roderich again?"

"Yup," she answered, looking off to the side and a bit of pink dusting her cheeks. "I'll admit, he's quite the catch." Of course they would go to the dance together, having been a couple for two years. 

Francis only smiled, understanding the bond those two shared. "So, we all know about you, (Y/n). Seriously, how can you not take part in this? You know we're never going to get a chance like this again, to enjoy the pleasure of the young love formed on these nights~"

(Y/n) cringed, but quickly covered up her thoughts with a laugh. Sure, those nights were fun, and relationships forming was a huge part of it.

But 'young love'? Really? 

"And you, Gil? Found that special someone that you want to go with?" Francis questioned.

Gilbert chuckled shyly. "Yeah, I have. I haven't asked her yet, though. But I know she won't be able to reject the awesome me!" he smirked triumphantly. Poor girl who was about to be harassed by this guy.

"I guess we're all happy then," Toni said, smiling dreamily.

After finishing their breakfast, the atmosphere became one of content and satisfaction, just like it happens every time after a great meal, but (Y/n)'s happiness was broken when she glanced up to the clock.

"Oh dear. I should probably go, my mother will get worried." And it was a great excuse to get out of Gilbert's presence and clear her mind. But fate seemed to not want to let that happen.

"Then how about I walk you home?" Gilbert proposed.

It was like the world _wanted_  her to suffer.

"Um..." She really had no idea how to respond without sounding weird, but it didn't seem like he would care anyway, because he looked rather enthusiastic.

"Just don't wreck the house while I'm gone, okay?" Gilbert instructed.

"That's rather ironic, coming from you," Toni laughed. 

As (Y/n) collected her stuff and dressed to leave, she made eye contact with Eliza, who lifted her eyebrows suggestively. It took all of her composure to not strangle her friend on the spot.

"Alright, see you soon, (Y/n)! Don't disappear again like that, okay?" Eliza smiled.

"Yeah, sure."

Leaving the house, she heard Gilbert trailing just behind her, and felt his red eyes burning a hole through her back.

"Gilbert, could you stop staring at me like that? If you have something to say, just say it." She slowed down a bit to let her companion walk next to her.

"Well, I can't help but look at a pretty girl like you," he chuckled nonchalantly.

(Y/n) was completely thrown off her tracks by his sudden compliment. How can someone so casually just say something like that? 

Maybe he could, with his confidence and all. Still, she had no idea how to answer to the comment, so she just chuckled nervously and let silence settle between them.

"So... I've heard from the guys that you didn't want to go to the dance. That sucks. I would have asked you out, you know," he said, sounding a bit disappointed.

Her brain barely comprehended what he had just said. _Did he really just...?_

"You have plenty of other girls to choose from. I know they would absolutely love to get asked out by the famous Gilbert Beilschmidt himself." she said quietly, trying to keep her feelings at bay and sound as unamused as possible.

"Those chicks? No, thanks. All they want is to brag about how they've spent alone time with me. Sure, it is awesome to be as awesome as me, but sometimes you wish they'd just stop crawling around you. But you're different, and that's something I really like about you. So, I'd take you if I could." She couldn't help but notice a hint of hurt in his voice. 

She could feel warmth inching across her cheeks with the fact that he had took the time to notice and care about her. With nothing to say, she continued walking the path to her home. 

"So, how about the two of us go somewhere on that day! I heard that an awesome carnival is coming to the town. We could go on a date there!" 

(Y/n) suddenly stopped, a look of utter shock on her face. "What?"

"What do you say about that?" he asked.

She stood still, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Gilbert was asking her out on a date. At least, that's what he called it. The school's social life's ringleader had just asked a girl like her to a date. Something wasn't right, surely, this was a joke. Yet, he was her friend, and she didn't want to hurt him.

"As long as you don't call it a date," she said shyly.

"Fair enough. Thanks for accepting the offer, though!" he exclaimed, tossing his arm around her shoulders happily, making her tense up, as it had before. She prayed that he'd keep the physical contact to a minimum that day.

"Y-yeah. You're welcome," she replied rather shakily.

"I'll come to pick you up that evening on about 5pm, alright?" he grinned.

"Alright." Strangely, she felt slightly excited.

"But, I have one small request," he began, his voice becoming quiet and darker.

"What is it?"

"Please, don't tell anyone about this. Not even Eliza. I know you'll want to, but please, don't."

She looked up at him, and tried to protest, but he cut her off. "Trust me, it's for the best. Let it be our little secret, okay?"

She nodded, and they continued walking in silence.

* * *

Looking into her closet, she tried to piece together the perfect outfit to wear. Eventually she settled on dark skinny jeans, a white top, and a knitted gray cardigan to keep her warm in the cool air of the evening. Putting on some mascara and a touch of lipstick, she waited for Gilbert to call her.

And he did, precisely at 5pm. She was slightly surprised at his punctuality, but nevertheless excited about the occasion. Quickly greeting her mother goodbye, she rushed to the door to answer it. When she opened the door, she met face to face with the boy, who greeted her with a huge grin on his face.

"Hey! Ready to go?" he asked.

(Y/n) nodded, leaving the house and walking alongside him towards the center of the town, where the carnival had already been going on for several days, still blasting it's music all across the town. As they walked, they exchanged small talk about stuff happening in their lives, but the conversation ended up being a tiny bit awkward, at least on her part. And as they got closer to their destination, their conversation shifted to the carnival.

"Apparently there's a huge roller coaster there. We should definitely have a go on it," Gilbert said excitedly.

"First one to scream in fear owes the other a favor," she smirked, posing a challenge to him. As if he wouldn't take it.

"You're on," he laughed.

 

Finally reaching the carnival, she saw several large hills and loops in the distance. That must have been the roller coaster he was talking about. Him saying it has huge was not an exaggeration; it was truly enormous.

"This is so awesome! And that ride looks really promising. And kinda terrifying, to be honest. You can back out if you want, but that means that I would win," he said, smiling slyly.

"Hey, I was the one that challenged you, I'm not just gonna let you win like that!" she protested. 

"We'll see about that. I'll be right back." he said, leaving (Y/n) alone to look around at the festive lights and bright colors, and to think about what situation she's gotten herself into.

_'Yeah. We will see.'_

A minute or so later Gil returned, holding two large cups. 

"Here. And don't worry, it's on me," he said, handing one of the drinks to her.

"Thanks," she said as she began to sip on the drink, and continued walking through the carnival and the endless crowds of people.

 

After a bit, they came up to the star ride, and looked up in awe at the colossal structure.

"Wow," (Y/n) exclaimed.

"Remember our challenge. And there are cameras here, so you can't deny anything!" Gilbert chirped.

"Oh, so you think you can win, don't you?" She narrowed her eyes evilly.

"I will win." He shot back, because, if Gilbert were to say at any point in time that someone was better than him, then might as well call the governments because the world would be ending. No matter how kind he could be, there was absolutely no helping his ego problem.

Hopping into a car and buckling their seatbelts, they waited for it to start moving. After the train filled up with people, it finally started moving. The sudden movement sent a look of surprise on to Gil's features, but he stayed calm. Or tried to. It was pretty obvious that he was going to lose this, but she decided to wait and see how this went.

As the car rode up the first and tallest hill, she could feel the nervousness radiating from his body. And then it went for the drop, making everyone in the entire train scream, either because of the thrill, or in extreme fear. And in Gilbert's case, it was the latter, because he was screaming like a little girl, making (Y/n) greatly wish to be able to laugh, but she was unable to because of the high speed. 

After a few literally breathtaking drops and loops, the car finally came to a halt, with everyone climbing off of it, (Y/n) giggling, and Gilbert looking absolutely terrified.

"Dude, you should have seen your face! Oh, wait..." She remembered the photos being taken while on the ride. And one of them featured Gil very clearly, mouth hinged open and a look of pure terror on his face. Upon noticing himself in the picture, he blushed brightly and looked away in embarrassment.

"This one's a keeper," she said, putting the picture away, smiling triumphantly.

"Let's just move on," he mumbled.

(Y/n) smiled as she looked around the festival.

"Hey, I think we'll be able to get a great view of everything from up there," she said, pointing to a ferris wheel a bit farther away. Gilbert's face lit up in happiness as he noticed it.

"Race you to it," he blurted out, dashing off to the wheel. By the time she reacted, he had already made a sizeable gap between them, and she was unable to close it, but, by the time they reached the object, they were both completely out of breath from running that fast.

"That's... not fair. You had a head start," she said in between desperate inhales of the sweet, cool air.

Gilbert was in no better shape, but still managed to speak. "At least I was more awesome that you at something." 

"So you're admitting that I was better than you back there?" She lifted her eyebrows.

"Let's just get on that thing," he said before (Y/n) continued the teasing.

Boarding one of the glass capsules, it slowly rose up, revealing a panoramic view of the carnival first, and then the entire town.

"It's so beautiful." She quickly took out her phone to take a couple shots of the scenery, with an intention to try to replicate it on a canvas.

"Look, there's the school," he said, pointing downwards to a large building, which was decorated with lights.

"I wonder if they're all having fun down there," she said quietly.

"Perhaps, but we're having way more fun. Right?"

(Y/n) let out a small laugh of agreement. This was way more fun than a stupid dance could ever be. And the wonderful company didn't hurt, either.

Gilbert put his arm around her waist, pulling her body closer to his. She found the feeling rather comforting, his heat spreading to her, and they continued to watch the beautiful sight outside the window, holding onto one another, not wishing to move apart.

It was at this moment that she realized that as much as she wanted to resist it, she was slowly, but surely falling for him.


	6. 6

Who knew a school morning could be this lovely. Or just a morning in general. The air was warm and fresh, signaling the arrival of May, and the events of the past few days were a great addition to what she could call a wonderful life. Having come from a quiet lifestyle drawing in the shadows to having acquainted herself with such awesome people, and, as much as she hated to admit, developed a crush on one of them, it sure was a drastic change, but also a very pleasant one.

Nowadays, she'd often catch herself staring at him, admiring his nearly white locks, his glimmering scarlet eyes, his lean but toned body, and every detail of his face, so much so that she had started unconsciously sketching his portrait on the back of a paper. 

It was possible that she was turning into one of the girls who obsessed over him, even if she really, really tried to stop doing stuff like that. 

Seeing Elizabeta right in front of her, she thought of sneaking up on her, but her plan was foiled by the girl turning to look behind herself.

"Good morning, (Y/n)!" Eliza greeted.

"Hi. You took a happy pill or something?" she laughed.

"Well, no... but..." Eliza looked away, blushing. "I may or may not have had a nice weekend with Roderich..."

"Oh, really? I can just imagine, you sitting with him in front of a fireplace, cuddling, you two starting to kiss, and it all heating up until-" She was interrupted by a hand shooting up to her mouth.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Get your goddamn mind out of the gutter! We just had a nice long walk and chat in the park, not anything like that!" 

"Alright, alright, calm down. I was just joking..."

Eliza scoffed. "Anyway, how was your weekend?"

"It was pretty nice," she replied, trying to not let any details slip.

"Anything... unusual happened?" her friend persisted. (Y/n) felt rather uneasy. Lying was something she was never very good at, but she had promised him that she wouldn't tell anyone.

The girls suddenly each felt a hand on their shoulder.

"Boo."

This earned a freaked out squeal from (Y/n), while Eliza stayed calm, and the person behind them started laughing really loudly. 

"Good morning, girls! Lovely morning today, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Gilbert. That's a really nice way to greet someone." (Y/n) said in an annoyed tone.

"Either way, you still haven't told me what you did on the weekend." Eliza said, her voice a touch darker than before. (Y/n) broke out in a cold sweat.

"I won't force you to say it if you don't want to. But, the truth is, I already know. Everyone knows. Some students spotted you two together at the carnival, and the rumors spread like wildfire. I didn't want to believe it, but..."

(Y/n)'s stomach dropped, and she saw Gilbert's grin disappear from his face.

"Damn it. And now everyone will think we're together," he said.

"Wait, you're not?" Eliza asked innocently.

"No. We just hanged out together, that's all. But it's not like they'll believe that." (Y/n) said, feeling defeated. However, she still didn't tell her any details. If there was something they didn't know, she didn't feel eager to reveal their secret. The pair were already in enough trouble, and she was preparing to receive the backlash.

And that's exactly what happened. Over the week, she would receive plenty of hateful notes from some of the girls, and most just refused to talk to her at all. And the ones who did had mostly only bad things to say. But (Y/n) didn't let this phase her, continuing to enjoy the good things, like hanging out with her friends, nice evening chats with her mother over a cup of tea, cuddling and playing with Tukee, and having that little crush of hers start to develop into stronger and stronger feelings for him.

Although, maybe that last part wasn't such a great thing.

 

Several weeks rolled by like that, taken up by immense stress caused by all those goddamn finals. Seriously, what was the point of taking a stupid exam on something like Physics when she wanted to do the exact opposite? It was at times like these when she absolutely detested the system, but hey, you got to do what you got to do.

Besides, the application results were coming in a few days and she could hardly wait. Of course, there was that tiny little chance that she wasn't going to be accepted, but she hoped with all her heart that she got in. Either way, she probably wasn't even the most stressed out about the whole thing. Elizabeta had applied to some prestigious university and was probably dying of nervousness over that application. The guys had entered into the same college as (Y/n), and that was a relief, knowing that there would be at least a couple familiar faces there. Overall, life was seeming to go rather nicely.

* * *

12pm, a Saturday morning. (Y/n) really wanted just to sleep away this entire weekend, maybe order a pizza and get a whole tub of ice cream, and be a total slob, because of those stupid, stupid, stupid exams. But a phone call from Eliza interrupted her sleep.

" _The results are in. Hop on video call, I've already got the other guys online._ "

Quickly hopping out of her bed, she brushed out her hair to look at least somewhat presentable. Getting online and joining the call, she saw the four faces of her friends, all still looking kinda groggy, except for Eliza, who was almost shivering in fear. 

"(Y/n), did you again go to sleep at 5am?" Eliza asked suspiciously.

"No, but I just wanted to sleep and you woke me up," she shot back, still too sleepy to formulate a more polite response.

"So, how about we all do this at once?" Francis suggested, the sound of tapping of keyboard keys serving as their agreement.

(Y/n) opened her e-mail account and saw the e-mail from the university right at the very top, and her stomach churned with nervousness. Not wasting much time, she opened the letter. However, before she could even begin reading, a loud squeal disrupted her.

"I GOT IN! THEY SAID I'M IN! I DID IT!" Eliza shouted at the top of her lungs before getting up to jump around excitedly around her room, another squeal following shortly after.

(Y/n)'s lips curled into a large smile, feeling proud of her friend. Finally, she returned to her own letter, and read through the text, finally noticing the sentence she's been wanting to hear for three years.

' _Dear (Y/n) (L/n), we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into our university's student body._ '

She felt absolutely out of this world, those heavy stones on her chest finally dropping. Completely forgetting about the call, she ran downstairs to her mother at an inhuman speed, and took her in for a big hug.

"I was accepted! I'm actually going to art school!" she said, trying not to cry tears of joy.

"Congratulations, dear. I knew you could do it," her mother said, planting a kiss on her daughter's forehead. "I hope you have a great time there."

"I will! And I'll come back with a degree in art, and life will be absolutely awesome!" As soon as she said the word 'awesome', she remembered her chat with her friends, giggling to herself about how stupid it must have looked when she just ran away like that. 

"Sorry for interrupting you like that. I'll go now, okay? I have to finish a call with my friends," she said apologetically, feeling a little bad for running away from them like that.

Her mother chuckled and nodded, before (Y/n) ran back to her room and returned to her computer.

"Sorry for that. I got a little too excited. Wait, where's Eliza?" she asked, looking at the box which showed only her room.

"She ran off shortly after you did. So... I assume you got in," Gilbert said.

"Yup! What about you guys?"

"Same here. We'll be able to bug you for another four years now," Francis said dreamily.

"Yeah, good luck with that." 

"How about we go celebrate this at the pizzeria?" Antonio suggested.

"Maybe we could do that after graduation? As one big celebration," (Y/n) replied.

"That would be awesome! Let's do that," Gilbert agreed.

* * *

Dressing in her graduation robe, she looked at herself one last time before leaving the house. This was the last time she would see herself as a high school student.

"You look wonderful, my dear," her mother said.

"Thanks. Although, I must admit that I'm kinda nervous."

The older woman gave a caring smile. "Don't be. All you have to do is step up on that podium and receive your diploma. And then you have officially graduated!"

"I know, and I'm not really worried about that. It's just the thought of going to school for the last time..."

"We all go through that. But you'll get used to it. Besides, your schooling isn't done yet, so maybe it's just a tad too early to be worried."

(Y/n) smiled at her reflection one last time before hugging her mother goodbye.

"I'll go there pretty soon too. But you have to be there earlier than me, so you better go now," she said before her daughter left the house.

 

The school was decorated with ribbons and banners, and a large podium had been set up in the plaza. (Y/n) saw her group of friends chatting on the outskirts of the crowd, and she made her way to them.

"Hey! So, it's our last day as students! How do you feel?" Eliza asked.

"Pretty good. And thank goodness that the weather is this lovely," (Y/n) replied.

"It sure is," Francis agreed.

The headmaster got everyone's attention, and then started speaking his graduation speech about 'creating our own futures' and 'becoming a part of our society' and stuff like that. Admittedly, it was rather boring, but it was much better than sitting in a classroom doing schoolwork.

He started calling out names one by one, their owners stepping up to the podium to receive their roll of paper, and soon enough (Y/n) did the same too. It was sort of weird feeling proud of what was essentially just a piece of paper, but after working those twelve years to get to it, it would be impossible not to feel proud.

"Congratulations, (Y/n). Now you have become part of our society," her mother said, slightly mocking the headmaster's speech, making the two laugh.

"Hey, (Y/n), we're going to the pizzeria!" Eliza shouted to her.

"Alright, I have to go. See you in the evening!" she said, waving goodbye to her mother as she spun around and ran to catch up with the rest. And the five left the school grounds for the last time, heading off to celebrate.

* * *

The buzz of the day was still not wearing off. Curious, she glanced at her clock. 

Its face showed 1am, and she didn't feel even remotely tired. She slightly hated it, but at least now it didn't matter when she went to sleep or woke up, because now she had three months to relax and do whatever she wanted.

Quietly dressing up, she took her keys and sneaked out of her house, trying to not wake her mother. She didn't have a curfew, but she didn't want to worry her either.

The streets were completely silent, with only the street lights to accompany her. She headed to the park, the one place where she could let her thoughts be free and cool off her head.

But in her usual relaxing spot, there was someone sitting on one of the benches. Approaching it, she saw the shine of those unmistakable platinum locks, which looked more silvery in this light.

"Hey, Gilbert," (Y/n) whispered.

The sudden sound made him jump a bit, and he quickly turned around to see her standing a couple feet away, and stood up to walk towards her.

"Jeez, you scared me." This earned a small chuckle from her. "Couldn't sleep?"

She shook her head. "No, but it happens pretty often."

"Do you come here, too?" he asked.

"Sometimes. But most of the time I just draw until I start feeling kinda tired, and try to fall asleep. It rarely works, though," she laughed.

He laughed a bit too before continuing. "I come here about once a week. This fresh air always helps me relax. And after such an awesome day, I just couldn't fall asleep."

"Yeah, it was really nice. And the fact that we don't have to deal with all of that school stuff anymore is probably the best part."

He smiled rather shyly, and even in the dim light she could see a slight blush creep up on his face.

"I think the best part was being able to spend it all with you, (Y/n)."

She felt her face heating up, followed by his arms wrapping around her body, pulling the two closer.

"As I've said several times before, you're so different from the girls that usually surround me. And that's something I really like about you. How you don't let yourself be changed for someone else. Not to mention, you're so talented and beautiful."

Completely taken aback by this sudden statement, (Y/n) looked up at him, awestruck. He rested his forehead on hers, and muttered the words that she would never, ever even dreamed to hear from a guy like him.

"I love you, (Y/n)."

She felt her heartbeat quicken, and a comforting warmth spread through her, but at the same time, she just stood there, unable to move because of the shock, and continued staring into his red eyes. She lowered her eyes slightly to his lips, just slightly parted and looking so tempting. Who knows what desires took over her, but she leaned in, and touched her lips to his.

Now Gilbert was the surprised one, but this didn't last long, as he began to push back, finally being as close as they could get. He was a great kisser, swiftly taking control over the situation and sending butterflies fluttering all around her body as he deepened the kiss even further. He licked her bottom lip, silently asking for entrance, which she eventually gave. Tangling her fingers into his soft hair, her knees began to feel a bit weak, forcing her to hold onto him tighter.

The feeling was near magical, and the cold seemed to bite more when they broke apart.

"Is it okay if I start calling you my girlfriend from now on?" Gil whispered.

"Yes," she replied with an equally soft tone.

He nuzzled himself in the crook of her neck, burying his face in her locks. It was the happiest she'd felt in a long time, and a moment she would never forget.

"I promise. No matter what, I'll be there for you."

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, my lovely readers! No matter when you're reading this, I wish you an awesome day/night/next millenium in a parallel universe! :3


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